I am 5'4". Current car is a Kia Spectra5. I can raise the seat enough to look over the hood. I had a 2001 Hyundai Accent which my son is driving now. That fits me like a glove. Anything I've tried from Toyota puts me too low. Nissans are good for me, Hondas, so-so. Forget about mid-size or full-size. The seats are too big. I wish the driver's seat can be moved from car to car.

The 2006 Mazda3 s-trim has manual height adjustment on the drivers seat. I'm 5'3" (don't know if that's tall) and can see out the window and be able to drive the Mazda3 comfortably. Plus depending on which s-trim and options you get, it's way under the $25,000 area. Hope this helps your friend!

My sister is 5'0" and the three most important things to look for are Telescopic Steering Wheel (Up/Down & In/Out), Power Adjustable Pedals, and a sensor that either measures the weight of the occupant or the distance relationship between the seat and the steering wheel. My sister enjoyed her BMW 325i, but said the Mercedes C320 (which has weight sensors) was a better fit so she traded a 3 for a C. If you need a big sedan the Jaguar XJ&#146;s are great. The layout is very short stature friendly and has a nifty sensor that disengages the airbags if her seat is too close to the wheel. It also has telescopic steering wheel and adjustable pedals, which all tie in to her memory setting. Voice Activated Commands are also helpful if you drive a big car that way you don&#146;t have to worry about that button way over there. Just push the button on the steering wheel and tell the car what you want.